Heart's On Fire
by ThePolkaDottedLily
Summary: When Emma Woodhouse is heartbroken and alone, who does she call? Alex Knightley of course! Emma Approved, Knighthouse


"Come on, Alex Knightly. Please, please pick up." Emma Woodhouse whispered into her phone. She wiped away the fresh tears sliding down her face and pressed her forehead against the headboard of her bed, listening to her phone ringing.

It had been a horrible night. Only a freshman in college, she had the confidence of a senior. Strutting around in six-inch heels, and feeling absolutely certain that she could do anything, be anything, that she wanted.

All she had to do was flip her long, dark hair over her shoulder and smile to completely entrance any guy that looked her way. At least that was how it had worked in the past. In high school, she only had to walk up and bat her eyelashes, and boys would drop everything to be the object of her affections.

She remembered a few months back to the first college party of the new school year. Alex, a senior, had brought her, had introduced her to people, and than drove her home after she got to drunk to stand. He had brought her back to his apartment, and she slept in his bed while he slept on the floor.

One of the guys from the party somehow got her number, and they began to text. That was how she had become the girlfriend of Chad Hunter, star quarterback of the school's football team. He had been nice, albeit a little bit dim. She was happy to be in a serious, committed relationship with a guy who was sweet, even if she had to explain to him what a Life Coach was.

Emma didn't think anything strange about their relationship, until she began waking up in Chad's apartment the mornings after his frat house parties with no memories of the night before.

She confronted Chad about it, he only laughed and said "Freshman girls weren't good for anything but holding his drinks and keeping me from getting bored anyways". At that, Emma had ran out of his dorm as fast as she could, and ended up sobbing, curled in bed with ice cream.

The worst part about it was that Alex had warned her. He had told her before freshman year had begun that she should watch out for guys trying to take advantage of her. How stupid could she have been not to take the advice of her best friend?

Emma waited for Alex to pick up, sure that he would be able to do something about the situation. _Ring ring brrring._ "Emma? Is that you?" Alex's voice brought another round of fresh sobs. "Emma, are you alright?"

"Alex, I- ."Emma couldn't even get the words out through her tears. Finally she was able to whisper, "Alex, It's Chad. He-he he. Alex, I don't know what to-"

She began to cry again, and before she could explain the situation, Alex said in a deep, tense voice, "I am on my way."

Not ten minutes later, Emma heard a car screech and stop outside her apartment complex. Thirty seconds later, the sounds of running feet up the back staircase reverbed through the walls, and she could hear a key turning in the lock.

She was folded in her bed when he found her, dark hair splayed out across her pillow, and bowl of ice cream nestled in the sheets.

She was wearing an old theatre t-shirt and running shorts, and her makeup was all gone, presumably having been cried off. At the sound of him entering the room, Emma brought her head off the pillow a little bit and looked at him, wiping more tears from her eyes.

He stood in the doorway, looking at her, and she sat up to meet his eyes guiltily. "You were right, Alex. You were right about him."

As she started to cry, he came around to her side of the bed. Placing the bowl of ice cream on the floor, he climbed in beside her, and she fell against him, instantly comforted by his presence. Alex's arm went around her, and she fell against him, crying against his chest.

Stroking her soft hair, he slowly calmed her down, until her breathing became regular and she stopped shaking.

Holding her tight, he hesitantly said, "Em, can you tell me what happened? I want to know so that I know how badly I have to kill that jerk."

Smiling slightly at his over-protectiveness, Emma began to recount what had happened, telling Alex how she became suspicious of Chad, and watching his lips press together angrily at the mention of his name.

When she had finished with the story, she let out a long sigh. "Why did this happen to me, Alex? What is it about me that attracts all the horny jocks to take advantage of me? Am I really that naïve?" She buried her face back in his shirt, not meeting his eyes.

"Of course not, Emma, why would you even say that?" She could feel his eyes boring into the top of her head, but she wouldn't look at him.

"Alex, you have known me for almost my whole life, you should know exactly what I am talking about." She blinked, trying to stymie the tears she felt coming. "I have never been in a serious relationship for longer than three months. I seem to be the girl that always is taken advantage of, and have you ever asked yourself why? It isn't his fault, Alex, It was mine for being stupid enough for falling for his tricks." The tears began to flow down her face as she raised her eyes to look at Alex.

To her surprise, she saw a glimmer of tears in his eyes as he began to speak in a soft, deep voice. "Emma Woodhouse, don't you ever, ever think that."

He gently took her chin in his strong hands, tilting her face till she was forced to look into his eyes. "Emma, you are the strongest, most talented, most beautiful person I have ever met. You are amazing and smart, and one of the kindest people that I am lucky to have in my life. I have seen you go from guy to guy, seen how much they weren't worthy of you. You are so kind to people, and you always give them the benefit of the doubt, and that makes you the incredibly wonderful and gorgeous person that you are. What has happened to you is no fault of your own, and believe me that by the time I get done beating that idiot up, he won't be talking to you anytime soon."

Emma was speechless. She could never had expected that from anyone, let alone Alex, but it seemed right somehow. Like that declaration was something that only could have come from Alex.

"Alex, I-" Emma didn't know what to say.

"You don't need to say anything, Emma".

He pressed his lips against the top of her hair and leaned his forehead against hers. They stayed like that, falling asleep in each other's arms, safe knowing that they would always be there for one another.


End file.
